Dead end clamp



May 17,, 1932. R. 1.. LJENNER 4 1,858,549

DEAD END CLAMP Filed July 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l R. L. JENNER DEAD END CLAMP May 17, 1932.

Filed July 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR Patented May 17, 1932 PATENT RALPH Ir. 'J'ENIN'ER, OF LE ROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LAP]? INSULATOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DEAD END CLAMP Application filed July 29, 1930. Serial No. 471,557.:

This invention relates to dead end clamps for securing guys, cables, conductors, or other tension members under proper-conditions between the last horizontal support of the tension memberand the ground anchor at which it finally ends.

The disadvantages of known dead end clamps are too well known to require discussion, but they particularly are defective as to rigidity of position, strain of clamp and tension member and ineii'ective grip upon the tension member.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a. dead end. clamp which obviates hitherto accepted defects and which possesses further advantages peculiar to its own construction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a properly balanced and proportioned clamp made of a single forging and hence involving great strength without excessive materia A further object. of the invention is the provision of, a clamp which progressively overcomes the tension on thetension member and which, at the same time, does not un duly set up undesired stresses and strains.

Other and further objects will be understood by those skilled in this art or will b apparent hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational'view of the assembled clamp, the clamp being turned upside-down for convenience.

Fig. 2 is a vertical medial section through Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the keeper member.

Fig. 4 is a view of the body member looking down upon the grooved side.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modilied form.

Fig. 6 is a view of the body member of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the keeper inember of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 5.

Similar numerals indicate similar throughout the several views.

5 parts The dead end clamp of my invention conslsts generally of a body member 10 and a cooperating keeper member 11, both being preferably made of forged metal to give maximum strength with a minimum of material. V

The body member 10 is somewhat L-shaped, although the construction, as shown, is not a right-angled one and hence for convenience the body willbe hereinafter referred to as an angled body member. 'As shown, the body member has a straight body portion provided with a groove 12 between side walls 13, the groove tapering as shown in Fig. 4 for a purpose to be pointed out hereinafter.

The body .member merges or curves into the angled portion 14,.which in use is at the top and substantially horizontal when in operative position, so that the groove 15 in this angled member is substantially horizontal and faces upwardly. An aperture 16 is provided as shown through each side wall of the groove for the purpose of connecting the clamp to a suitable support or insulator (not shown) and in use a suitable tie rod (not shown) is utilized to make the connection. Extending laterally from the side walls of the groove are a plurality of apertured cars 17 unitarily forged with the side walls. The floor or bottom of the groove is, moreover, waved or corrugated as shown at 18, Fig. 2, the purpose of which will be understood hereinafter. The extreme ends of the body mem ber are flared or curved ,at 19, to prevent a sharp edge or a rapid change in curvature from coming into contact with the cable, wit-h a consequent high stress at this point. The taper of the groove is also so adjusted that the tension member is gripped more and more tightly the nearer it gets to the land anchor to which it is eventually secured.

The keeper member as shown particularly in Fig. 3 has a relatively long and narrow body portion 20 with reinforced or strengthened portions 21 and cut away or lightened additional portions 22. The underside of the body portion is waved or corrugated at 23, but as will be apparent from Fig. 2 particularly, the corrugations of the keeper are opposlte to those of the body member, that 1s,

Cir.

a prominence of the floor or groove of the body member is opposite a depression or trough in the under-surface of the keeper member and accordingly a trough in the floor of the body member is opposite a prominence in the under-surface ofthekeepermemher. It will be apparent that such aconstruction forces the cable or tension member to take a sinuous or tortuous path through the assembled bodyand lreeper membe'rs and this particularly in conjunction with theitapering groove, or throat, as it may be called, provides an arrangement which is particularly eflfective both in gripping .the .cable or tension member and in holding it firni'ly'in position. The taper of the :groove, as has been explained, .causes .the tension member to ;be gripped more-and :more tightly, therefore rell-i'eying it more and .more of its load, so that nearthe exit-end of theclampthe loadon-the tension member is practically Zero and the ;grip of the :clampis the tightest so-that unusually efiicient clamping .action is secured without undue strain-onthe cable strands.

It will be seen that a mumber of bolts 24 .exteriorly threaded .at.25 andeach provided wlitha guide tipr26-extend from the straightened .or reinforced portions of :the keeper body and it is apparent .that the number of bolts which are forged unitarily with the keeper body is equal .to the number of apertured ears which are also :unitarily forged and each of which is adapted to receive a bolt asshown in the assembled view of .Fig. 1. Nuts 27 are screwed up on thebolt .members so astogclamp the keeper and body members together inoperative association andthe guide tips above mentioned enable the nuts to be quickly and easily threaded on the bolts when the clamp is being assembled All]. position. To facilitate the threading of the nuts .a counter-sink (notshown) may he provided in the side of .thenu'tso that whether or not the nut is presented to the bolt at exactly the right angle to catch the thread will be immaterial.

In the modified form of Figs. .5 .to 8, inclusive, the main features and considerations .are the same as those considered anent Figs.

, 1 to at, inclusive, except that in Figs. .5 .to 8,

inclusive, the body member 10' has the .unitary forged bolt construction '21, 24 .and 26' as will be clearly understood from the foregoing and the keeper member 11" has the apertured ear construction .17.

In either case, the cable is embraced entirely,the wire being seatedin agrooae with side faces, both of which are pierced by hole 16 inorder to attach the-clamp to an adapter.

This is a greatadvantage over .the 'ofiset or side opening type of groove wherein the edges are not extended and pierced by a .hole for attachment but wherein attachment is made to one extended edge which must be extremely heavy, due to the fact that it must withstand stresses like those existing in a hook in contradistinction to the presentinvention in which the stresses are divided in the two faces as in a shackle or clevis.

The hole 16 aforesaid is near the center of .mass .of the .clamp and indisputable .advanitages are .='ther.eby-:obtained. The-depth of the clamp being relatively small, also, the parts can be unitarily forged which would be impossible in a-cl'amp df cons'iderable depth.

If desired, a lock washer arrangement may be incorporated and as shown in Fig. 1 the flat-side of the nut is provided with a number ofserrations 28 and as a matter of fact and convenience, these serrations are automatically placedon the nut surface by the use of :a ,properly :shaped die when the nuts are ,punohed out .so that the gore-vision of ithe serrations adds no expense whatever to the manufacture of the mats, Similarly, .serrations 29 may be placed on the proper surface of theaperturedears L7,,so that byithe interposition :of (a washer (30 an efficient looking arrangement is secured as the ends of the washer, \whichanay be provided with aslight" extension, if desired, catch in the serrations and prevent loosening of the-nut, whichniay,

. however, be removed, if mecessary, by therapplication of considerable force, in whi'oh'case,

.the serrations ofthe nutmay be stripped, but

anew nut-can .be readily ,used without .much expense or the washer itself may iopen out. This ris a great advantage over prior (constructions whereinrthe clamping pressurew-as lost and the .wire slipped.

Inuse the clamp is arranged so that the last horizontal portion of thentension .memher .is received in *the groove of the angled .portionof .the guide which, th reaf-terpoi-nts toward the ground .at .azniangle of about degrees, the tension member emerging from the lower end of .the clamp, shown .at the top .of Figs. 1 :and .2, and then passing in any suitable way .to :a land :arrchor. .An important function and use is in deadsenh'dmg .a conductor, transmissidn .cable .or wire.

What 1 (31211111235 new :and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dead-end clamp-comprising-an angled body member adapted to receive a :cable,saidbody member having a tapered throat portion ltO ggrip said cable progressively more tightly and havinga wavy floor, a keeper member constructed to cooperate with said body member, :and means for securing said members in operative association.

2. A dead-end clamp comprising an angled body memberadapted to receive acable, said body member having a tapering throat to ,grip said cable progressively more tightly and having a wavy floor, a keeper member constructed to. co-operate with said body member and having a wavy under-surface, and means for securing and locking said members 1n operative association.

3. A dead-end clamp comprising an an gled body member adapted to receive a cable, said body member having a tapering throat to receive and grip said cable progressively more tightly and having a wavy floor, a keeper member constructed to co-operate with said body member and having an oppositely waved under-surface, said keeper member having parts cut away for lightness and other parts reinforced, guide-tipped bolts extending unitarily from said reinforced parts, aperture ears on said body member for reoeiving said bolts, and means for securing and locking said members in operative association.

4. In a dead-end clamp, a body member having unitary forged bolts and a coextensive keeper member with the bolt-carrying part of the body member having unitary forged apertured ears to receive said bolts, said body member having a longitudinal groove, the walls of which have an aperture substantially adjacent the center of mass of the clamp, said groove being tapered and having a wavy floor and said keeper member having a cooperating wavy surface.

5. A dead end clamp comprising a generally L-shaped body member provided with a cable receiving groove, and a single keeper so member coextensive with a major part of said body member, said body member and keeper having interengaging bolt and ear elements unitarily forged therewith, said groove having its walls and floor and said keeper member having its under surface configured for progressive clamping effect.

6. An L-shaped dead-end clamp comprising a leg and a foot portion arranged to meet at an angle of less than 180, said leg portion being provided with unitary forged bolts and a keeper member, substantially coextensive with said leg portion only, provided with unitary, forged apertured ears to receive said bolts, said clamp being grooved and the groove walls being transversely apertured substantially at the center of mass of the clamp, the apertures lying at the heel of said clamp.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subso scribed my name this 25th da of J uly, 1930.

RALPH JENNER. 

